BASE CLOSURE CLEANUP FUNDING
As far as I can tell, funding for base closure cleanup will not only
survive this legislative season, but it will come in at greater levels
than anticipated. Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) cleanup funding
is contained in the Military Construction Appropriations Act, and the
President is expected to sign that bill soon. I have conflicting
reports in hand, so the following summary is subject to change.
Congress has appropriated $562.5 million, the Senate level (instead of
the $457 million requested by the President) for cleanup at bases
closed or reduced by previous closure rounds. And instead of imposing
that figure as an absolute ceiling - which both House did in their
bills - the final legislation allows the Secretary of Defense to raise
the ceiling with justification.
Furthermore, the bill allows money from the BRAC IV (1995 Round)
account, previously designated for other activities related to closure
and reassignment of units, to be used for environmental studies at the
BRAC IV bases. In essence, the military can draw on that account as
much as it needs to funds environmental baseline surveys, environmental
impact studies, and cleanup-related studies. Only "dirt-moving" still
has to come from the Defense Environmental Restoration Account this year.
In taking these actions, as well as inserting language into the Defense
Appropriations Conference Report, Congress has made it clear that base
closure cleanup - necessary for redevelopment or other forms of reuse -
remains a high priority.
However, appropriations still significantly lag requirements that
military cleanup officials - such as BRAC Environmental Coordinators -
are developing in the field.
Lenny